Perioperative nivolumab versus observation in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing nephrectomy (PROSPER ECOG-ACRIN EA8143): an open-label, randomised, phase 3 study.

BACKGROUND: The standard of care for patients with intermediate-to-high risk renal cell carcinoma is partial or radical nephrectomy followed by surveillance. We aimed to investigate use of nivolumab before nephrectomy followed by adjuvant nivolumab in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma to determine recurrence-free survival compared with surgery only. METHODS: In this open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial (PROSPER EA8143), patients were recruited from 183 community and academic sites across the USA and Canada. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, with previously untreated clinical stage T2 or greater or Tany N+ renal cell carcinoma of clear cell or non-clear cell histology planned for partial or radical nephrectomy. Selected patients with oligometastatic disease, who were disease free at other disease sites within 12 weeks of surgery, were eligible for inclusion. We randomly assigned (1:1) patients using permuted blocks (block size of 4) within stratum (clinical TNM stage) to either nivolumab plus surgery, or surgery only followed by surveillance. In the nivolumab group, nivolumab 480 mg was administered before surgery, followed by nine adjuvant doses. The primary endpoint was investigator-reviewed recurrence-free survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma assessed in all randomly assigned patients regardless of histology. Safety was assessed in all randomly assigned patients who started the assigned protocol treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03055013, and is closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Feb 2, 2017, and June 2, 2021, 819 patients were randomly assigned to nivolumab plus surgery (404 [49%]) or surgery only (415 [51%]). 366 (91%) of 404 patients assigned to nivolumab plus surgery and 387 (93%) of 415 patients assigned to surgery only group started treatment. Median age was 61 years (IQR 53-69), 248 (30%) of 819 patients were female, 571 (70%) were male, 672 (88%) were White, and 77 (10%) were Hispanic or Latino. The Data and Safety Monitoring Committee stopped the trial at a planned interim analysis (March 25, 2022) because of futility. Median follow-up was 30·4 months (IQR 21·5-42·4) in the nivolumab group and 30·1 months (21·9-41·8) in the surgery only group. 381 (94%) of 404 patients in the nivolumab plus surgery group and 399 (96%) of 415 in the surgery only group had renal cell carcinoma and were included in the recurrence-free survival analysis. As of data cutoff (May 24, 2023), recurrence-free survival was not significantly different between nivolumab (125 [33%] of 381 had recurrence-free survival events) versus surgery only (133 [33%] of 399; hazard ratio 0·94 [95% CI 0·74-1·21]; one-sided p=0·32). The most common treatment-related grade 3-4 adverse events were elevated lipase (17 [5%] of 366 patients in the nivolumab plus surgery group vs none in the surgery only group), anaemia (seven [2%] vs nine [2%]), increased alanine aminotransferase (ten [3%] vs one [<1%]), abdominal pain (four [1%] vs six [2%]), and increased serum amylase (nine [2%] vs none). 177 (48%) patients in the nivolumab plus surgery group and 93 (24%) in the surgery only group had grade 3-5 adverse events due to any cause, the most common of which were anaemia (23 [6%] vs 19 [5%]), hypertension (27 [7%] vs nine [2%]), and elevated lipase (18 [5%] vs six [2%]). 48 (12%) of 404 patients in the nivolumab group and 40 (10%) of 415 in the surgery only group died, of which eight (2%) and three (1%), respectively, were determined to be treatment-related. INTERPRETATION: Perioperative nivolumab before nephrectomy followed by adjuvant nivolumab did not improve recurrence-free survival versus surgery only followed by surveillance in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma. FUNDING: US National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Local Recurrence Following Resection of Intermediate-High Risk Nonmetastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: An Anatomical Classification and Analysis of the ASSURE (ECOG-ACRIN E2805) Adjuvant Trial.

PURPOSE: We describe what is to our knowledge a novel classification system for local recurrence after surgery of renal cell carcinoma. We assessed its prognostic implications using prospective, randomized controlled data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried the ASSURE (Sunitinib Malate or Sorafenib Tosylate in Treating Patients With Kidney Cancer That Was Removed By Surgery) (ECOG-ACRIN [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network] E2805) trial data for patients with fully resected, intermediate-high risk, nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma with local recurrence. We used certain definitions, including type I-single recurrence in a remnant kidney or ipsilateral renal fossa, type II-single recurrence in the ipsilateral vasculature, the ipsilateral adrenal gland or a lymph node, type III-single recurrence in other intra-abdominal soft tissues or organs and type IV-any combination of types I-III or multiple recurrences of a single type. Multivariable logistic regression and the log rank test were performed to identify clinicopathological predictors and compare survival, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 1,943 patients 300 (15.4%) had local recurrence, which was type I, II, III and IV in 66 (22.0%), 97 (32.3%), 87 (29.0%) and 50 (16.7%), respectively. Surgical modality (minimally invasive vs open) and type of surgery (partial vs radical) did not predict any local recurrence. Five-year cancer specific survival and overall survival were worse in patients with type IV recurrence (each p <0.001). There was no difference in survival among patients with types I to III recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with intermediate-high risk nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma local recurrence appears to be a function of biology more than of surgical modality or surgery type. The prognosis for solitary intra-abdominal local recurrences appear similar regardless of location (types I-III). Local recurrences involving multiple sites and/or subdivisions are associated with worse survival (type IV).

Fatigue among patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving adjuvant sunitinib or sorafenib: patient-reported outcomes of ECOG-ACRIN E2805 trial.

BACKGROUND: E2805 was a phase III trial to test whether adjuvant sunitinib or sorafenib could improve disease-free survival compared to placebo in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Patient-reported outcomes (PRO), focusing on fatigue, were evaluated as a secondary endpoint. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 463 patients participated in the PRO study. Fatigue was measured by the FACIT Fatigue scale and PROMIS Fatigue SF1 measure at baseline, week 10, and week 22. The primary endpoint was change in fatigue score from baseline to week 22, measured by the FACIT Fatigue scale. Secondarily, the psychometric properties of PROMIS Fatigue SF1 were assessed in relation to the FACIT Fatigue scale. RESULTS: Fatigue got significantly worse on all arms after 2 cycles of treatment, and especially so in patients on sunitinib (- 9.6 vs. - 5.6 on sorafenib vs. - 4.7 on placebo). Fatigue remained stable during week 10 and week 22. Overall, the mean score change between baseline and week 22 was - 7.9 (p < 0.001) on sunitinib, - 6.4 (p < 0.001) on sorafenib and - 5.6 (p < 0.001) on placebo arm. The difference in score change was not statistically significant between the two experimental arms and the placebo arm (difference = - 2.34 [p = 0.110] and - 0.87 [p = 0.535] for sunitinib vs. placebo and sorafenib vs. placebo). PROMIS Fatigue SF1 had good internal consistency reliability and construct and criterion validity, and was highly correlated with the FACIT Fatigue scale score. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue got worse during study period, especially in patients on sunitinib. The PROMIS Fatigue SF1 was highly correlated with FACIT Fatigue and produced similar results.

Longitudinal and dynamic measurement invariance of the FACIT-Fatigue scale: an application of the measurement model of derivatives to ECOG-ACRIN study E2805.

PURPOSE: While quality of life measures may be used to assess meaningful change and group differences, their scaling and validation often rely on a single occasion of measurement. Using the 13-item FACIT-Fatigue questionnaire at three timepoints, this study tests whether individual items change together in ways consistent with a general fatigue factor. METHODS: The measurement model of derivatives (MMOD) is a novel method for measurement evaluation that directly assesses whether a given factor structure accurately describes how individual test items change over time. MMOD transforms item-level longitudinal data into a set of orthogonal change scores, each one representing either a within-person longitudinal mean or a different type of longitudinal change. These change scores are then factor analyzed and tested for invariance. This approach is applied to the FACIT-Fatigue scale in a sample of patients with renal cell carcinoma treated on 'ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) study 2805. RESULTS: Analyses revealed strong evidence of unidimensionality, and apparent factorial invariance using traditional techniques. MMOD revealed a small but statistically significant difference in factor structure ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), where factor loadings were weaker and more variable for measuring longitudinal change. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in factor structure were not large enough to substantially affect scale usage in this application, but they do reveal some variability across items in the FACIT-Fatigue in their ability to detect change. Future applications should consider differential sensitivity of individual items in multi-item scales, and perhaps even capitalize upon these differences by selecting items that are more sensitive to change.

Association between patients' perception of the comorbidity burden and symptoms in outpatients with common solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients' symptom burden is commonly attributed to their cancer and treatment. Increasingly, cancer patients have many other chronic comorbid conditions. However, the degree to which these comorbid conditions may contribute to the patient-reported symptom burden is unclear. METHODS: This study explored the relations between the presence of comorbid conditions, the symptom experience and burden, and the perceived bother from cancer or comorbid conditions in 3106 cancer patients. The associations between the number of comorbidities (identified from current medications), the patient-reported symptom burden (the number of symptoms scored as ≥7 on the 13-item MD Anderson Symptom Inventory physical scale), the patient-reported bother from comorbid conditions and from cancer (from "not at all" to "extremely"), and the clinician-reported difficulty in caring for patients' symptoms were examined. RESULTS: According to medication lists, 19% of the patients had at least 5 of 12 comorbid conditions. Approximately 39% rated at least 1 symptom as ≥ 7, and this proportion increased with an increasing number of comorbid conditions (48% with ≥ 5 comorbid conditions vs 36% with 1 comorbid condition). One-third of the patients reported moderate or worse bother, and this was significantly associated with an increased number of comorbid conditions (odds ratio [OR], 2.4) and an increased symptom burden (OR, 1.22). Clinician ratings of difficulty in managing patients' symptoms were significantly associated with bother from cancer (OR, 2.0), comorbid conditions (OR, 1.6), and symptom burden (OR, 1.1). CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity is common in cancer patients and is associated with a greater symptom burden and clinician reports of difficulty in managing patients' symptoms. Greater attention to comorbid conditions is needed to optimize the symptom management of cancer patients with multimorbidity. Cancer 2017;123:3835-3842. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Adjuvant sunitinib or sorafenib for high-risk, non-metastatic renal-cell carcinoma (ECOG-ACRIN E2805): a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Renal-cell carcinoma is highly vascular, and proliferates primarily through dysregulation of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. We tested sunitinib and sorafenib, two oral anti-angiogenic agents that are effective in advanced renal-cell carcinoma, in patients with resected local disease at high risk for recurrence. METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial, we enrolled patients at 226 study centres in the USA and Canada. Eligible patients had pathological stage high-grade T1b or greater with completely resected non-metastatic renal-cell carcinoma and adequate cardiac, renal, and hepatic function. Patients were stratified by recurrence risk, histology, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and surgical approach, and computerised double-blind randomisation was done centrally with permuted blocks. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive 54 weeks of sunitinib 50 mg per day orally throughout the first 4 weeks of each 6 week cycle, sorafenib 400 mg twice per day orally throughout each cycle, or placebo. Placebo could be sunitinib placebo given continuously for 4 weeks of every 6 week cycle or sorafenib placebo given twice per day throughout the study. The primary objective was to compare disease-free survival between each experimental group and placebo in the intention-to-treat population. All treated patients with at least one follow-up assessment were included in the safety analysis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00326898. FINDINGS: Between April 24, 2006, and Sept 1, 2010, 1943 patients from the National Clinical Trials Network were randomly assigned to sunitinib (n=647), sorafenib (n=649), or placebo (n=647). Following high rates of toxicity-related discontinuation after 1323 patients had enrolled (treatment discontinued by 193 [44%] of 438 patients on sunitinib, 199 [45%] of 441 patients on sorafenib), the starting dose of each drug was reduced and then individually titrated up to the original full doses. On Oct 16, 2014, because of low conditional power for the primary endpoint, the ECOG-ACRIN Data Safety Monitoring Committee recommended that blinded follow-up cease and the results be released. The primary analysis showed no significant differences in disease-free survival. Median disease-free survival was 5·8 years (IQR 1·6-8·2) for sunitinib (hazard ratio [HR] 1·02, 97·5% CI 0·85-1·23, p=0·8038), 6·1 years (IQR 1·7-not estimable [NE]) for sorafenib (HR 0·97, 97·5% CI 0·80-1·17, p=0·7184), and 6·6 years (IQR 1·5-NE) for placebo. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were hypertension (105 [17%] patients on sunitinib and 102 [16%] patients on sorafenib), hand-foot syndrome (94 [15%] patients on sunitinib and 208 [33%] patients on sorafenib), rash (15 [2%] patients on sunitinib and 95 [15%] patients on sorafenib), and fatigue 110 [18%] patients on sunitinib [corrected]. There were five deaths related to treatment or occurring within 30 days of the end of treatment; one patient receiving sorafenib died from infectious colitis while on treatment and four patients receiving sunitinib died, with one death due to each of neurological sequelae, sequelae of gastric perforation, pulmonary embolus, and disease progression. Revised dosing still resulted in high toxicity. INTERPRETATION: Adjuvant treatment with the VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors sorafenib or sunitinib showed no survival benefit relative to placebo in a definitive phase 3 study. Furthermore, substantial treatment discontinuation occurred because of excessive toxicity, despite dose reductions. These results provide a strong rationale against the use of these drugs for high-risk kidney cancer in the adjuvant setting and suggest that the biology of cancer recurrence might be independent of angiogenesis. FUNDING: US National Cancer Institute and ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, Pfizer, and Bayer.

NF-κB and stat3 transcription factor signatures differentiate HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Using high-throughput analyses and the TRANSFAC database, we characterized TF signatures of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) subgroups by inferential analysis of target gene expression, correcting for the effects of DNA methylation and copy number. Using this discovery pipeline, we determined that human papillomavirus-related (HPV+) and HPV- HNSCC differed significantly based on the activity levels of key TFs including AP1, STATs, NF-κB and p53. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that HPV- HNSCC is characterized by co-activated STAT3 and NF-κB pathways and functional studies demonstrate that this phenotype can be effectively targeted with combined anti-NF-κB and anti-STAT therapies. These discoveries correlate strongly with previous findings connecting STATs, NF-κB and AP1 in HNSCC. We identified five top-scoring pair biomarkers from STATs, NF-κB and AP1 pathways that distinguish HPV+ from HPV- HNSCC based on TF activity and validated these biomarkers on TCGA and on independent validation cohorts. We conclude that a novel approach to TF pathway analysis can provide insight into therapeutic targeting of patient subgroup for heterogeneous disease such as HNSCC.

Predicting survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from TP53 mutation.

For TP53-mutated head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), the codon and specific amino acid sequence change resulting from a patient's mutation can be prognostic. Thus, developing a framework to predict patient survival for specific mutations in TP53 would be valuable. There are many bioinformatics and functional methods for predicting the phenotypic impact of genetic variation, but their overall clinical value remains unclear. Here, we assess the ability of 15 different methods to predict HNSCC patient survival from TP53 mutation, using TP53 mutation and clinical data from patients enrolled in E4393 by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), which investigated whether TP53 mutations in surgical margins were predictive of disease recurrence. These methods include: server-based computational tools SIFT, PolyPhen-2, and Align-GVGD; our in-house POSE and VEST algorithms; the rules devised in Poeta et al. with and without considerations for splice-site mutations; location of mutation in the DNA-bound TP53 protein structure; and a functional assay measuring WAF1 transactivation in TP53-mutated yeast. We assessed method performance using overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) from 420 HNSCC patients, of whom 224 had TP53 mutations. Each mutation was categorized as "disruptive" or "non-disruptive". For each method, we compared the outcome between the disruptive group vs. the non-disruptive group. The rules devised by Poeta et al. with or without our splice-site modification were observed to be superior to others. While the differences in OS (disruptive vs. non-disruptive) appear to be marginally significant (Poeta rules + splice rules, P = 0.089; Poeta rules, P = 0.053), both algorithms identified the disruptive group as having significantly worse PFS outcome (Poeta rules + splice rules, P = 0.011; Poeta rules, P = 0.027). In general, prognostic performance was low among assessed methods. Further studies are required to develop and validate methods that can predict functional and clinical significance of TP53 mutations in HNSCC patients.

Patterns and predictors of antidepressant use in ambulatory cancer patients with common solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Depressive symptoms and antidepressant use are prevalent among cancer patients. We sought to identify determinants of prescribing commonly used antidepressants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multi-institutional study enrolled 3106 ambulatory patients with cancer of the breast, prostate, colon/rectum, or lung. Five case-finding methods were used to identify patients with depressive symptoms. Logistic models were used to examine factors that impact antidepressant use. RESULTS: Approximately, 47% of patients were defined as having depressive symptoms. Clinicians rated being sad/depressed as one of the top three priority problems for 10.5% of patients. Antidepressants were prescribed in 19% of all patients, 25% with depressive symptoms and 14% nondepressed patients. After adjusting for other covariates, these variable categories were significantly associated with greater use of antidepressants: depressive symptoms, family history of depression, concurrent medication use, cancer treatment status, and certain other clinical and demographic variables. The strongest individual predictors were concurrent use of more than 10 medications (odds ratio [OR] = 3.3), a family history of depression (OR = 2.2), sedative use (OR = 2.1), non-Hispanic white race (OR = 2.0), and anxiolytics use (OR = 2.0). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are found in nearly half of outpatients with cancer, and one-fourth of patients with depressive symptoms are taking an antidepressant. Patients receiving antidepressants are more often those taking multiple medications, those with a depression diathesis, and those with more extensive cancer treatment. Patients who were younger, white, and female were also more likely to be taking antidepressants.

Phase 2 trial of aromatase inhibition with letrozole in patients with uterine leiomyosarcomas expressing estrogen and/or progesterone receptors.

BACKGROUND: Advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an incurable disease. A significant percentage of cases of ULMS express estrogen and/or progesterone receptors (ER and/or PR). To the authors' knowledge, the role of estrogen suppression in disease management is not known. METHODS: The authors performed a single-arm phase 2 study of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole at a dose of 2.5 mg daily in patients with unresectable ULMS with ER and/or PR expression confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Tumor assessments were performed at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and every 8 weeks thereafter. Toxicity was monitored throughout treatment. The primary endpoint was the progression-free survival at 12 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients was accrued, with a median of 2 prior treatment regimens (range, 0-9 treatment regimens). The median duration of protocol treatment was 2.2 months (range, 0.4 months-9.9 months). The 12-week progression-free survival rate was 50% (90% confidence interval, 30%-67%). The best response was stable disease in 14 patients (54%; 90% CI, 36%-71%). Three patients, all of whom had tumors expressing ER and PR in > 90% of tumor cells, continued to receive letrozole for > 24 weeks. The most common reason for treatment discontinuation was disease progression (85%). Letrozole was found to be well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Letrozole met protocol-defined criteria as an agent with activity in patients with advanced ULMS. Patients with the longest progression-free survival rate were those whose tumors strongly and diffusely expressed ER and PR.

Using patient-reported outcomes to assess and improve prostate cancer brachytherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a successful quality improvement process that arose from unexpected differences in control groups' short-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) within a comparative effectiveness study of a prostate brachytherapy technique intended to reduce urinary morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients planning prostate brachytherapy at one of three institutions were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Patients were surveyed using a validated instrument to assess treatment-related toxicity before treatment and at pre-specified intervals. Unexpectedly, urinary PROs were worse in one of two standard brachytherapy technique control populations (US-BT1 and US-BT2 ). Therefore, we collaboratively reviewed treatment procedures, identified a discrepancy in technique, made a corrective modification, and evaluated the change. RESULTS: The patient groups were demographically and clinically similar. In the first preliminary analysis, US-BT2 patients reported significantly more short-term post-treatment urinary symptoms than US-BT1 patients. The study's treating physicians reviewed the US-BT1 and US-BT2 treatment protocols and found that they differed in whether they used an indwelling urinary catheter. After adopting the US-BT1 approach, short-term urinary morbidity in US-BT2 patients decreased significantly. Brachytherapy procedures were otherwise unchanged. CONCLUSION: Many procedures in cancer treatments are not evaluated, resulting in practice variation and suboptimal outcomes. Patients, the primary medical consumers, provide little direct input in evaluations of their care. We used PROs, a sensitive and valid measure of treatment-related toxicity, for quality assessment and quality improvement (QA/QI) of prostate brachytherapy. This serendipitous patient-centred QA/QI process may be a useful model for empirically evaluating complex cancer treatment procedures and for screening for substandard care.

Predictors for major wound complications following preoperative radiotherapy and surgery for soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities and trunk: importance of tumor proximity to skin surface.

PURPOSE: Preoperative and postoperative RT for the treatment of high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma result in similar local control and overall survival rates, but morbidities differ. Postoperative RT is associated with a higher rate of long-term fibrosis, edema, and joint stiffness. Preoperative RT is associated with higher rates of wound complications. It is important to identify predictors for major wound complications (MWC) and to develop strategies to minimize this outcome. We reviewed our experience to determine predictors for MWC following preoperative radiotherapy (RT) and surgery for soft-tissue sarcoma. METHODS: Between January 2006 and May 2011, 103 patients with soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities and trunk were treated with preoperative RT followed by surgery. MWCs were defined as those requiring operative or prolonged nonoperative management. Fisher's exact test was used to compare rates. Logistic regression was used for multivariable analysis of factors potentially associated with MWCs. RESULTS: Median tumor size was 8.4 cm (range 2-25). All patients had wide or radical resections. Wound closures were primary in 70 %, a vascularized flap in 27 %, and split-thickness skin graft (STSG) in 3 %. There were 36 MWCs (35 %). Significant predictors for MWCs on univariate analysis included diabetes, tumors >10 cm, tumors <3 mm from skin surface, and vascularized flap/STSG closure. The same four variables were significant predictors on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: MWCs following preoperative RT and surgery were common. Tumor proximity to skin surface <3 mm is a previously unreported independent predictor, and further strategies to minimize wound complications are needed.

Results From a Randomized Phase II Trial of Sunitinib and Gemcitabine or Sunitinib in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma with Sarcomatoid Features: ECOG-ACRIN E1808.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcomatoid renal cancer (sRCC) patients have poor outcomes. EA1808 evaluated sunitinib and gemcitabine (SG) and sunitinib alone (S) in sRCC in a randomized cooperative group phase II trial (NCT01164228). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pts were aggregated 1:1 to SG (45 pts) or S (40 pts) using a 2-stage design. sRCC pts with ≤ 1 prior nonvascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor were stratified into prognostic groups: good (clear cell, < 20% sarcomatoid, PS 0), intermediate (20%-50% sarcomatoid, PS 0), and poor (nonclear cell or > 50% sarcomatoid or PS 1). The primary endpoint was response rate (RR). For SG, the null RR was 15% and a 30% RR was of interest. For S, a 20% RR was of interest vs. a 5% null rate. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. RESULTS: Both arms met protocol criteria for stage 2 of accrual. A total of 47 pts were randomized to SG and 40 to S. The SG arm had 9 of 45 evaluable patient responses (RR of 20%; CI = [13%-31%]) not meeting the predetermined threshold for success. The sunitinib arm met its endpoint with 6/37 (RR of 16%; CI = [9%-27%]) evaluable responses. Grade ≥ 3 events were experienced by 36 in the SG arm and 17 in the sunitinib arm CONCLUSIONS: EA1808 was the largest and first randomized cytotoxic trial for sarcomatoid RCC. Sunitinib alone but not the SG met the preset threshold of success. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is only useful in limited clinical scenarios for sRCC.

Improvement in overall survival of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: prognostic factor trend analysis from an international data set of clinical trials.

PURPOSE: We assessed temporal shifts in the frequency of risk factors for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in a multicenter, international data set. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An international database of 3,748 patients treated with systemic therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma from 1975 to 2002 was constructed by pooling clinical trial data. Proportions of previously identified risk factors were examined during 6 specified time cohorts. Overall survival for each cohort was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Trends in overall survival from 1973 to 2008 were also examined in 25,271 patients from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) database. RESULTS: Median overall survival from start of treatment increased with each consecutive time cohort group. In the earliest cohort median overall survival was 0.5 years (95% CI 0.43-0.57), which increased to 1.63 years (95% CI 1.28-1.79) in 2001 to 2002. More patients had a history of nephrectomy in the most recent cohort (p = 0.001). The proportion of patients with low performance status, high lactate dehydrogenase and high adjusted calcium decreased by study entry year (each p <0.01). Analysis of overall survival from the SEER database showed similar improvement in the more contemporary diagnosis cohorts (p <0.001). Two-year overall survival in the earliest and latest diagnosis cohort was 14% (95% CI 13-14) and 22% (95% CI 21-24), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Higher representation of favorable risk factors in recent years may have partly contributed to the improvement in overall survival observed in more recent metastatic renal cell carcinoma clinical trials. These shifts could affect the outcome interpretation.

Gene expression correlates of clinical prostate cancer behavior.

Prostate tumors are among the most heterogeneous of cancers, both histologically and clinically. Microarray expression analysis was used to determine whether global biological differences underlie common pathological features of prostate cancer and to identify genes that might anticipate the clinical behavior of this disease. While no expression correlates of age, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), and measures of local invasion were found, a set of genes was identified that strongly correlated with the state of tumor differentiation as measured by Gleason score. Moreover, a model using gene expression data alone accurately predicted patient outcome following prostatectomy. These results support the notion that the clinical behavior of prostate cancer is linked to underlying gene expression differences that are detectable at the time of diagnosis.

mTOR inhibition reverses Akt-dependent prostate intraepithelial neoplasia through regulation of apoptotic and HIF-1-dependent pathways.

Loss of PTEN function leads to activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling and Akt. Clinical trials are now testing whether mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition is useful in treating PTEN-null cancers. Here, we report that mTOR inhibition induced apoptosis of epithelial cells and the complete reversal of a neoplastic phenotype in the prostate of mice expressing human AKT1 in the ventral prostate. Induction of cell death required the mitochondrial pathway, as prostate-specific coexpression of BCL2 blocked apoptosis. Thus, there is an mTOR-dependent survival signal required downstream of Akt. Bcl2 expression, however, only partially restored intraluminal cell growth in the setting of mTOR inhibition. Expression profiling showed that Hif-1 alpha targets, including genes encoding most glycolytic enzymes, constituted the dominant transcriptional response to AKT activation and mTOR inhibition. These data suggest that the expansion of AKT-driven prostate epithelial cells requires mTOR-dependent survival signaling and activation of HIF-1 alpha, and that clinical resistance to mTOR inhibitors may emerge through BCL2 expression and/or upregulation of HIF-1 alpha activity.

Predicting Disease Recurrence, Early Progression, and Overall Survival Following Surgical Resection for High-risk Localized and Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification for localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) relies heavily on retrospective models, limiting their generalizability to contemporary cohorts. OBJECTIVE: To introduce a contemporary RCC prognostic model, developed using prospective, highly annotated data from a phase III adjuvant trial. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The model utilizes outcome data from the ECOG-ACRIN 2805 (ASSURE) RCC trial. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary outcome for the model is disease-free survival (DFS), with overall survival (OS) and early disease progression (EDP) as secondary outcomes. Model performance was assessed using discrimination and calibration tests. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 1735 patients were included in the analysis, with 887 DFS events occurring over a median follow-up of 9.6 yr. Five common tumor variables (histology, size, grade, tumor necrosis, and nodal involvement) were included in each model. Tumor histology was the single most powerful predictor for each model outcome. The C-statistics at 1 yr were 78.4% and 81.9% for DFS and OS, respectively. Degradation of the DFS, DFS validation set, and OS model's discriminatory ability was seen over time, with a global c-index of 68.0% (95% confidence interval or CI [65.5, 70.4]), 68.6% [65.1%, 72.2%], and 69.4% (95% CI [66.9%, 71.9%], respectively. The EDP model had a c-index of 75.1% (95% CI [71.3, 79.0]). CONCLUSIONS: We introduce a contemporary RCC recurrence model built and internally validated using prospective and highly annotated data from a clinical trial. Performance characteristics of the current model exceed available prognostic models with the added benefit of being histology inclusive and TNM agnostic. PATIENT SUMMARY: Important decisions, including treatment protocols, clinical trial eligibility, and life planning, rest on our ability to predict cancer outcomes accurately. Here, we introduce a contemporary renal cell carcinoma prognostic model leveraging high-quality data from a clinical trial. The current model predicts three outcome measures commonly utilized in clinical practice and exceeds the predictive ability of available prognostic models.

TP53 mutations and survival in squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: The abrogation of function of the tumor-suppressor protein p53 as a result of mutation of its gene, TP53, is one of the most common genetic alterations in cancer cells. We evaluated TP53 mutations and survival in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. METHODS: A total of 560 patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck who were treated surgically with curative intent were enrolled in our prospective multicenter, 7-year study. TP53 mutations were analyzed in DNA from the tumor specimens with the use of the Affymetrix p53 chip and the Surveyor DNA endonuclease and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography. Mutations were classified into two groups, disruptive and nondisruptive, according to the degree of disturbance of protein structure predicted from the crystal structure of the p53-DNA complexes. TP53 mutational status was compared with clinical outcome. RESULTS: TP53 mutations were found in tumors from 224 of 420 patients (53.3%). As compared with wild-type TP53, the presence of any TP53 mutation was associated with decreased overall survival (hazard ratio for death, 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 1.8; P=0.009), with an even stronger association with disruptive mutations (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.4; P<0.001) and no significant association with nondisruptive mutations (hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.9 to 1.7; P=0.16). In multivariate analyses a disruptive TP53 alteration, as compared with the absence of a TP53 mutation, had an independent, significant association with decreased survival (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.4; P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Disruptive TP53 mutations in tumor DNA are associated with reduced survival after surgical treatment of squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Cytoreductive surgery in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor treated with sunitinib malate.

BACKGROUND: In patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) on first-line imatinib (IM) undergoing cytoreductive surgery, response to IM at time of surgery correlates with completeness of resection and progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS). Impact of surgery in IM-resistant patients on second-line sunitinib (SU) is unknown. METHODS: Patients on SU undergoing surgery for metastatic GIST at our institution were reviewed. Response to SU at time of surgery was categorized as responsive disease (RD), limited progression (LP) or generalized progression (GP). RESULTS: Fifty patients underwent surgery after a median 6.7 months of SU. Forty patients (80%) had prior surgery at initial presentation of GIST; 16 (32%) underwent prior surgery on IM. At time of surgery on SU, 10 patients (20%) had RD, 22 (44%) had LP, and 18 (36%) had GP. Resections were macroscopically complete in 25 patients (50%); completeness of resection did not correlate with response to SU. Complication rate was 54%; reoperations were required in 16%. Median PFS after surgery and start of SU was 5.8 and 15.6 months, respectively (median follow-up 15.2 months). Corresponding median OS was 16.4 and 26.0 months, respectively. Differences in PFS and OS based on response to SU were not significant. Younger age was prognostic of survival. CONCLUSION: Surgery is feasible in patients with metastatic GIST on SU, but incomplete resections are frequent and complication rates are high. Relevance of survival rates is difficult to assess given the selection bias. Benefits of surgery should be weighed against symptoms and alternative treatments.

Angiogenic Factor and Cytokine Analysis among Patients Treated with Adjuvant VEGFR TKIs in Resected Renal Cell Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The use of VEGFR TKIs for the adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains controversial. We investigated the effects of adjuvant VEGFR TKIs on circulating cytokines in the ECOG-ACRIN 2805 (ASSURE) trial. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with resected high-risk RCC were randomized to sunitinib, sorafenib, or placebo. Plasma from 413 patients was analyzed from post-nephrectomy baseline, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks after treatment initiation. Mixed effects and Cox proportional hazards models were used to test for changes in circulating cytokines and associations between disease-free survival (DFS) and cytokine levels. RESULTS: VEGF and PlGF increased after 4 weeks on sunitinib or sorafenib (P < 0.0001 for both) and returned to baseline at 6 weeks on sunitinib (corresponding to the break in the sunitinib schedule) but not sorafenib (which was administered continuously). sFLT-1 decreased after 4 weeks on sunitinib and 6 weeks on sorafenib (P < 0.0001). sVEGFR-2 decreased after both 4 and 6 weeks of treatment on sunitinib or sorafenib (P < 0.0001). Patients receiving placebo had no significant changes in cytokine levels. CXCL10 was elevated at 4 and 6 weeks on sunitinib and sorafenib but not on placebo. Higher baseline CXCL10 was associated with worse DFS (HR 1.41 per log increase in CXCL10, Bonferroni-adjusted P = 0.003). This remained significant after adjustment for T-stage, Fuhrman grade, and ECOG performance status. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients treated with adjuvant VEGFR TKIs for RCC, drug-host interactions mediate changes in circulating cytokines. Elevated baseline CXCL10 was associated with worse DFS. Studies to understand functional consequences of these changes are under way.